The Ocean That I'm Drowning In  AkuRoku Fanfic
by HitachiinElephant
Summary: It's a new school for Axel, and everything's starting out fine... That is, until he meets a certain blond boy with a horrible past that changed his life. AkuRoku yaoi


AkuRoku School Fanfic

By HitachiinElephant

[ vv- **Before you begin reading!** -vv ]

[ Okay, before I get another review about how this story is in the wrong spot, I know. For some reason, my computer freaks when I try to put this in Games = Kingdom Hearts. It was spazzing when I was trying to upload the file, too. Therefore, I went to the second closest place. Next, because of difficulties from the uploader, as I have previously mentioned, the whole story will be posted as one chapter updated when possible. Hey, don't hate the player. Hate the game... Or the player works, I guess. ^^'' Anywhos, enjoy! ]

"Trust me. You're going to love this school." The blond boy was smiling as he gave me a tour through the building.

It was my first day at Oblivion High, and to tell you the truth, I was a little scared. I didn't know anyone there because I just moved into town.

Suddenly, the male guiding me grabbed my sleeve. "Are you listening, man?"

"What?" I asked. I was in my own world, trying to figure out the usual school things. Locker combo, class schedule, so on, so on.

"I said do you want to skip Gym? I know I do. Hate that pirate teacher." I saw him grimace out of the corner of my eye.

I grinned as I walked to my locker. "Alright. Meet me in the garden in five minutes."

The bond nodded and began to head down the hall, but stopped and looked at me. "By the way, my name's Demyx Nocturne."

I looked up at him as I opened my locker. "Axel. Axel Flurry. Got it memorized?" I tapped my temple and chuckled softly as I forced my bag into the small space. I heard Demyx laugh as he left.

_So far so good,_ I thought. One friend, no enemies.

I quickly got my stuff in the locker and shut it, giving the dial a spin. I ran down the hall, trying to remember where the garden was.

I suddenly ran into another student and fell back onto the ground. The student's books were scattered in front of us.

"Sorry," I said nervously as I reached out to help pick up the books.

"Watch where you're going next time," he mumbled harshly.

_Jeeze, I said I was sorry. Don't have to be such a jerk about it._ I grabbed two of his books and stood up, handing them to him. "I really am sorry. I was in a rush to meet a friend in the garden. You don't think you could point me in the right direction, could you?"

He glared at me for a moment, then sighed. "Down that hall and to the right. You look new here. What's your name?"

I smiled. "Axel Flurry. Got it memorized?" I tapped his head and laughed, but it was soon cut off as he swiped my hand away from him.

"Don't touch me. I don't want to catch your retardedness." With that, he spun on his heel and went down the hall.

I watched him leave for a moment, then sighed. Change of score: one friend, one enemy. Fantastic.

I went down the hall and to the right, the way the jerk told me to go. I poked my head in and found the extravagant garden, Demyx sitting by the fountain. He looked up at me and smiled, waving me over. A ran up to him, past a male with pink hair. He looked like he was the gardener. Probably was.

"What took you so long?" he asked as I sat beside him, careful not to get too close to the water. The liquid just wasn't my thing…

"I ran into some blondie. He was a jerk about it, though. I said sorry and helped picked up his books, and he still acted all pissy."

The mullet-man looked at me, smirking. "Lemme guess. Blond, spiky hair, a little shorter than me?"

I stared at him as if he were Santa Claus giving a little boy a present. "You know him."

"Know him? Ha! I used to be friends with him! His name's Roxas. He used to be a nice kid… That is, until… Well…" Nocturne's voice faded.

I watched as he looked away slightly. "Until?"

He sighed. "Until the day his father raped him…"

I could feel my eyes widen in shock. "His father… _Raped_ his own son?" I exclaimed softly.

The blondie nodded sullenly. "Tomorrow will make it a year since it happened. His dad came home, drunk like crazy. Word is Roxas was sleeping at the time when… Dad attacked. Lucky for the kid he was only awake for the first few moments. His dad whacked a bottle of rum or something across his head, knocking him out cold. He's got a scar on his head, too. It's just hiding under all that hair.

"Neighbors called the police just in time. His dad's in jail now and none of us know where Roxas is living now."

The story almost brought me to tears, yet, it started a spark of anger inside me. "Wouldn't he be living with his mom?"

Demyx shook his head. "He never knew his mother, really. Died the years ago the same day the blond was raped. Ever since that day, Roxas never trusted anyone, especially guys."

I looked towards the school building, thinking about Roxas. The poor kid. His mother died when he was so young, and years later his father raped him on the same day. I couldn't even imagine how hard it had to be, living the life he had.

Suddenly, I could hear a ringing bell inside. I shot up from the fountain, gathering my things and heading inside quickly.

But before I could get inside, the gardener stopped me, grabbing me by the arm. "Be careful around Roxas. He's really sensitive around this time of year. His locker number is 32, and his next class is Art."

I stared at the mauve haired guy in confusion. "How did you-"

"I'm the gardener. I hear a lot of things people say here and nobody really notices me. Now get going! You're gonna be late for Art!" With that, he gave me a slight shove.

_Art? I don't have Art ne- Oh, now I get it! _I ran for my locker, dropping off my books and things. I tore out a piece of paper from one of my notebooks and wrote down what the gardener told me, sticking it in the back of my locker. I slammed it shut, gave the dial a spin, and dashed off to the art room.

When I got there, everyone else was standing in front of an easel, and Roxas was at the end. The one next to him wasn't taken. Lucky me.

"I don't believe you're in this class," the blond teacher pointed out from her seat. All eyes were on me now, and I could feel a certain pair drilling into me, full of hate.

"Oh, uh, I got transferred to this class instead of my other one."

She stared at me for a moment, then waved me to the open easel. I nodded and stood by the blond boy. "Hey," I greeted softly.

His eyes were looking into mine, displeased and angered, before he quickly looked away. "Don't talk to me." His voice was stern and almost a hiss.

"Alright, class!" a soft voice called out over the ruckus. The students hushed and turned to look at the teacher. "Today, I want you to do something you probably haven't done before. I want you to look deep inside yourself, deep in your soul, and see what you truly want out of life. Once you find it, let it out through your paint. Don't be shy, now!" The sound of paintbrushes lifting from the wood could be heard around the room as I looked around, people already painting. _It takes you longer than that to look inside your soul, dumbasses._

I closed my eyes and thought for a moment, really looking into the soul I had. Art was one thing I took seriously. I never told anyone. I was too afraid I would be picked on. I saw an image formed in my mind, and it made me blush ever so slightly. I took a deep breath, opened my eyes, grabbed my board of paints and began to brush across the white space.

As I painted, I glanced across at Roxas. Apparently, he took his Art seriously, as well. He was still thinking, silently tapping his foot as he stared at the blank workspace.

"Still thinking?" I asked, trying to be nice.

His death glare returned to me out of the corner of his eye for a slight moment before he dipped his brush into the red paint. "No. It's not that hard."

I watched him for a moment, and then returned to my work.

Every once in a great while, I would see him catching a glimpse of my project out of the corner of my eye.

To tell you the truth, it wasn't really anything special. What I wanted out of life was to love and be loved in return. Just like the one guy from the one story… I can't remember it at the moment though.

Every once in a while, when I was able to peek at Roxas' work, I saw money signs and anything else referring to the word money. But the look on his face told me it couldn't be true. He didn't seem… _Happy _with his choice. Even the teacher came by and whispered something in his ear, and the blond nodded, his expression not changing.

Before I knew it, Art was over. But as I set my brush and paints down, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "You stay behind," the woman ordered kindly, "You didn't get much done, and I'm looking forward to the end product."

Glad that I missed what ever class I had next, I nodded and picked up my materials again. I also noticed Roxas moving to the other side of the room, his back facing me, painting something new. I quickly looked away, hoping not to anger him.

After some time, though, I felt someone's presence behind me, almost looking over my shoulder. Thinking it was the teacher, I turned slightly, not looking away. "Am I taking too long on this, Ma'am?"

"_Ma'am_? I'm pretty sure I'm not a girl." His voice was blank, yet retained a slight sense of laughter inside it.

I turned to see him, looking at my work. As he studied the canvass, I glanced over at his. The same want, different pictures.

On his new project, two people, a man and a woman, stood on a balcony, looking across the night sky. I recognized the man as the blond male beside me right away. The girl had short hair, a bright red color to it. It almost looked like… A girl version of _me_.

Suddenly, he was at his easel, grabbing his slab of paints and mixing some red and white together, making a warm shade of pink. "It'd be better if you made it fade. Like this."

I looked back to mine as his brush stroked across the bottom of the background, around the words _this is true…_ I wasn't so great at the fading aspect of painting, but I was getting better.

Now that he edited the bottom part, my art had more texture. Roxas stepped back and examined it again. His cheeks turned a faint pink, almost like the one on his slab, as he really looked at the picture.

Two people, me and a blond girl, nuzzling each other. I was holding the girl in my arms as her face buried into my shoulder. A small, yet noticeable tear was sliding down her cheek, mine as well, yet we were both happy. There wasn't even really a scene. It was just… Darkness, with light glowing around us.

I looked back to the blond and chuckled softly. "You get some of your paint on your face, blondie?" I teased lightly, dabbing my brush into the pink he had made and quickly making a gentle streak across his cheek. It really did match his blush…

The boy laughed, backing away playfully. "Hey! Paint is for art, not people! But now I shall kill you!" He did the same to my forehead, only with white. I couldn't even help but laugh.

We continued having our painting wars, changing into rainbow-colored students for almost a half hour. I never thought I would have seen him smile. After the story I was told, I never would have expected him to smile ever again. Especially this soon and this close to… _that_ day.

"What are you boys doing?" I heard a shout over our laughter. We both froze where we were and looked to the blond woman, her hands on her hips with a glare on her face.

At this point, our faces looked as if a unicorn barfed on us. Same went to our hands and clothes.

"Uh, sorry, Ma'am. We got a little sidetracked…" Roxas explained shamefully.

I quickly picked up where he left off. "B-but we did finish our paintings!" I gestured to both easels, hoping to make her less angry.

After a few minutes of verbal discipline, she sent us to the boy's locker room in the gym to wash ourselves off. Everyone was back in their rooms or outside somewhere, so we wouldn't be seen except by the coach, but everything was explained to him and he gave us a spare set of clothes from the nurse.

Soon, I stepped out of the shower room, towel wrapped around my waist. But I noticed that as I showered, there was an awkward feeling in the steaming room. I was at one end, the blond at the other, our backs facing each other. Normally, I would be fine. We did it at my old school, too. Yet, here… It was odd.

So when I was out, I took a deep, relaxing breath and slipped my boxers on, grabbing the pants and sticking my feet through.

I heard the door swing and saw him come out, his cheeks redder than ever as we both avoided eye contact. The kid took his clothes and dressed on the other side of the lockers.

"Hey," I called to him, loud enough so only he could hear, "Sorry if I got you in trouble-"

"I-It's fine, it's fine," he interrupted. His voice sounded a little shaky. I told myself mentally it was because of the sudden cool air.

I smiled barely and grabbed the shirt lying on the bench, only to find out it was the one meant for Roxas, not me. "Hey, Roxas… I think you've got my shirt."

"Yeah, I can see that now… Just throw it over the lockers." His voice wasn't as shaky, so that had to prove my point that it was from cold.

Suddenly, a white and gray top landed on my face, making me laugh softly. "Thanks for the delivery," I chuckled, throwing his shirt. Not being the best pitcher, much less, thrower in the world, it landed on the lockers, closer to his side.

"Good job, Einstein," he chuckled. "I can't reach it."

"I got it," I sighed playfully, setting my shirt back on the bench. "Since you're so short and all." It was natural for me to tease. I couldn't help it.

When I came around the corner, I saw the blond standing on the bench, reaching for his shirt, his upper body exposed. When he looked at me, his cheeks rapidly turned a dark shade of red. Even I felt my face warm to a temperature extremely hot.

Quickly looking away, the kid reached for his shirt again, leaning forward. "Almost… Got it…" His bare feet, now on the edge of the bench, slid forward a tad bit.

As soon as I saw him lose his balance, I ran under him and caught him, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Roxas!" My eyes were closed the whole time.

After a few seconds, I opened my eyes again to find his face inches from mine. I was leaning against the locker as he pretty much leaned on me. His arms rested along mine, his hands holding my shoulders. We couldn't do anything but stare into the other's eyes. I took a really good look into his blue orbs.

They were full of fear and awful memories. His body was shaking slightly as he watched me, terrified. At first, I didn't understand, really. I mean, sure, any guy would probably be struck as weird by this. Then, it suddenly hit me.

It reminded him of that one day.

"…H-Help," he squeaked, his voice shakier than ever.

"Roxas! I'm so sorry!" I quickly set him down on the bench. The blond quickly recoiled, leaning as far away from me as he could without falling off.

"D-D-Don't touch me!" His voice was louder.

A gently rested a finger on his lips. "Roxas! Calm down! I'm not gonna hurt you! I swear." I grinned softly, hoping it would prove my point. Unfortunately, it didn't.

"L-Leave me alone!" He pushed me away and backed up himself, making him fall off the bench. I heard his head bang loudly on the locker behind him.

"Roxas!" I jumped over the wooden seats and got on my knees beside him. I took his face in my hands, gently slapping his cheek. "Rox? Rox! Wake up! Now's not the time to scare me!"

Still no response.

"Roxas," I whispered sternly, now sitting with his head on my leg, "Please… Wake. Up… Please, for the love of Gods, be okay." My fingers ran through his hair, gently, slowly. I never took my eyes off him, waiting for him to awake.

After a while, I fell asleep, still holding Roxas across my lap. When I woke up, the lights were off and it was pitch black. Seeing no signs of other people, I snapped my fingers, a small flame appearing in my hand. It was a harmless flame. If anyone touched it, they wouldn't be burnt. Although it did provide a good source of heat.

I brought my hand near the pressure I felt on my legs, and sure enough, Roxas was there. Only this time, instead of near dead looking and lying across my legs, he was now breathing, curled into a ball and using my leg as a pillow. I smiled softly and used my free hand to gently stroke his cheek, the tips of my warm fingers barely touching his skin.

The touch apparently made him stir and wake. He looked up at me with drowsy eyes. "A-Axel? … What… What are you doing here?" His speech was slurred as he yawned in between.

I sighed a breath of relief. This was enough proof to prove the boy was okay. "I was making sure you're okay. You scared me there."

He looked down at the ground. "Sorry… I'm just not that comfortable around… Around-"

"Hush, Roxas," I whispered, resting a finger on his lips again. "I know. But you can trust me. I'll… I'll take care of you, Roxas."

His eyes searched mine. Searching for truth. Searching for care. I'm sure he found both, because he sat up and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. The fire in my hands disappeared suddenly, but I could still see him just fine. Although I froze for a moment, I chuckled softly and hugged him in return, nuzzling my face into his soft hair.

"Hey," he whispered quietly, "Could… Could I try something?"

I looked down him as he looked up at me. "Depends… What is it?"

His cheeks turned scarlet again. "Just… Hold still."

As I followed his orders, Roxas sat up straight and took a deep breath. I watched his every move as he slowly, shakily leaned towards me. He slowly inched his way forward, stopping once in a while to gauge my reaction. Soon, our lips were just centimeters away from touching, but he stopped, frozen where he was. I could tell by his rapid breathing and his constantly moving eyes that he wasn't sure if he should go on or not.

Just as I was about to lean in, he sat back. "I can't," he breathed, looking shamefully to his side. "Not yet…"

I smiled softly and hugged him, holding the boy against my bare chest. "It's alright. We'll go slow. I can wait for you." I nuzzled my face into his soft, welcoming hair. _Soft as a feather,_ I sighed mentally.

After a few moments, he pulled away, still leaning back into my arms. "Axel… I-I think I should tell you about… Well, about this."

His hand ran through his spiky bangs, holding them back to show a dark red mark high on his forehead. It was near his hairline, where nobody would see it. "Even if you do know, I need to tell you what really happened." His hand dropped from his head, taking my hand in his. His eyes never left our intertwined fingers.

"My mother died long ago. I was only maybe one, so I never really knew her. The years flew by, my dad going out and drinking on the day she died every year. A year before tomorrow, he apparently drank a little more than he thought, and still was even when he got home. It was early in the morning, so I didn't know.

"Anyways, he came home, drunk off his ass, and came into my room. I didn't know he was there until I… I felt his fingers… Running along my skin…" the blond's voice shook, as well as his own body.

"Rox, you don't have to-"

"Yes, Axel… You should know…" I felt him squeeze my hand and take a breath.

"I woke up and asked him what he was doing. I still didn't really know what was going on. I just woke up, so…Yeah… But then his hands found… Found…"

I couldn't see him torture himself anymore. Thankfully, he couldn't either. He buried his face into my neck. I felt little drops of water falling onto my shoulder and down my chest.

"It's alright, Roxas," I hushed him, gently stroking his hair. I carefully, slowly moved him onto my lap, practically holding him in my arms like a baby. "You don't need to say anymore. I'll be here for you… And I won't let anyone hurt you anymore."

Soon, Roxas' shaking eased and he quickly fell asleep. Not much longer after, my cell phone rang on the bench on the other side of the lockers. Being careful not to wake him, I slowly stood up, gently adjusting the blond so I could hold him with one arm. His arms were wrapped around my neck, so that helped, too.

"Hello?" I answered softly.

"Axel! Oh, thank the Gods, you're alright! Where are you?" My mother pretty much screamed through the phone.

"Mom! Mom!" I exclaimed quietly, "Calm down! I accidently got locked in the school. I'm alright though."

"Axel, how do you get locked in a school? Oh, never mind. I'll call the principal and have them get you out."

I smiled and held back a laugh as Roxas stirred in my arms, moaning softly. "What was that I just heard?" Mother gasped.

My eyes widened. I knew what she was thinking. "Mom! I'm not doing that! I'll explain when I get-"

"No, you will explain now!" Her voice changed from shocked to angered in less than an instant.

I sighed and explained everything from the paint fight to Roxas falling. I didn't mention what happened to him that one day. "So do you think he could stay with us for a while?"

She was silent for a moment. I almost thought she hung up, but she soon laughed softly. "Of course he can. I'll come by with the principal." I could hear a smile in her voice.

"Thanks, Mom." With that, we hung up on each other. The kid in my arm stirred some more. I chuckled softly and sat against the lockers on the floor again, letting him cuddle into my chest.

I struggled to stay awake, my heavy lids wanting to fall over my emerald orbs. Thankfully, my mother and the principal made it just in time, finding us in the boy's locker room.

Mom held out her arms when she saw Roxas. "Let me take him for you-"

"No," I interrupted softly, "I-I got him. He's really sensitive around people, Mom." She was giving me a weird look as we left the building.

Since the principal gave my mom a ride, she drove us home in my truck. With no room for Roxas in the cab, I sat in the back. He never woke up since he cried himself to sleep in my arms. I leaned against the cab as we drove down the highway, staring up at the sky.

When we drove over a bump, his eyes flew open. "Wh-What? What's going on?" He looked around, then up at me, the blush returning to his cheeks.

I chuckled softly. "It's alright, Rox. I'm taking you back to my place. I wasn't sure where you lived, and I didn't want to wake you up."

He looked down at his lap. I thought I barely saw a smile curl on his lips. "Th-Thanks."

I nodded and adjusted so he was sitting next to me. "You never really told me where you lived-"

"I'm homeless."

I stared at him for a moment. _Homeless?_ I never knew, never would have even thought.

He looked up at me when I didn't reply. "It's alright. I find places to hang out. But… If it's okay with your family, I'd love to live with you guys."

I smiled softly and nodded. "It's perfectly fine with me."

With that, he nuzzled into my neck and fell asleep again. He felt so warm against my already heated body. He was like a human blanket, and I never wanted to hide him away in a cabinet.

By the time we got home, Roxas was deep in dreamland and I was close to falling asleep myself. What kept me up long enough to get inside was my mother opening the back door to let us out. I carefully slid to the edge and stepped down, carrying the blond in my arms. He barely stirred a bit, a small, drowsy grin spreading across his face.

I urged my mother to go to bed, for she looked tired herself. Luckily, I was able to convince her that he trusted me and I would get him to bed okay. With a nod, she shuffled to her bedroom and shut the door behind her as I carefully walked to my room and set Roxas in my bed.

"You can sleep here," I whispered ever so softly to the practically unconscious boy, "until we find somewhere comfortable for you to sleep."

In response, the blond tossed onto his side, moaning quietly. A smile was on his face, making me chuckle softly.

I left the room after a moment, making sure he was completely asleep. Tucking some blankets into the couch, I set myself a makeshift bed. I didn't mind, really. Especially if it was Roxas taking my bed. That's when I noticed something.

I felt close to Roxas. It wasn't close like friends or family, but like… I don't know. It was odd, but felt good. As I lay down to sleep, I felt a pain in my chest, but it felt good- No, not good…

_Wonderful._

I sighed peacefully and let my mind take me away. I felt great now. I felt great and I hoped nothing would ever stop me from feeling this way ever again.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt a much colder atmosphere around me. Sitting up, I was able to glance out the window from my place and see little flakes of snow, dancing to the ground. I groaned and flopped back again.

"Oh, lighten up," I heard my mother laugh from the kitchen. "They say it's gonna snow all weekend. We're gonna pick up a ton of it, I can tell you that."

I chuckled a little and stood up, stretching. "Like that makes me feel any better." I looked around the room, smelling breakfast being cooked. "What're you making, Mom?" I peaked over her shoulder and stole a piece of bacon from the plate, quickly dodging her hand.

"Unless you eat it all, we're having bacon, sausage, and eggs. Go check on your friend. I heard him talking earlier and it didn't sound like he was okay." I could hear her tone change from playful to worried.

I nodded and headed off down the hall, listening carefully as I did. Just like she described, the sound of soft whimpers and cries could be heard in my room. My pace quickened and I opened my door.

Inside, the blond was shaking as he whimpered, gripping the blanket over him.

"No. No, no, no! Please! I beg of you, please don't!" His voice shouted quietly in his sleep.

I sat on the edge, shaking him slightly by the shoulder. "Roxas! Roxas, wake up! It's alright!"

He woke with a start, hitting my hand away as he shrieked for the slightest second. His blue orbs flickered across the room, then to me. "Axel," he said breathlessly. He sighed with relief and quickly hugged me tightly. As the boy caught his breath, I noticed how shaky it was, as well as his own body.

I ran my hand through his hair, trying to calm him. "It's okay, Roxas. I'm here. It was all just a dream. Remember, I won't let anyone hurt you."

Soon, I felt his shaking disappear as he looked up and smiled at me. "Thanks, Axel. Come on, I smell breakfast being made." But before he left, I felt his lips softly press against my jaw.

My body loosened a bit, but froze when his lips met my skin. He had already left, but I couldn't move. It wasn't exactly a million dollar kiss, but it still felt great. A chill ran through me after a few seconds, bringing me back to reality. I leapt from the bed and ran out to the kitchen. "Don't eat without me! I'm a living being, too, ya know!"

After eating a warm meal, my mom went out to town to get some things for Roxas. I guess she planned on having him around for quite some time.

As we waited for her to come back, the blond stared out the window and I put the extra blankets away. His eyes never left that frozen water called snow. I hated that stuff. It was just so… So wet and slushy and… Cold, yet it was fun to play in. Especially when it wasn't coming down.

"You have a thing for snow?" I asked as I sat on the couch, leaning back on the arm. My arms were crossed behind my head, substituting as a pillow.

"Yeah," he said, "It's a lot of fun to play in. Let's the child in me out. You know what I mean?"

My world suddenly went upside-down as I leaned my head back farther to look at him. "Definitely. I'm not snow's biggest fan, but it is fun… Most of the time." We both laughed as I returned to lying comfortably on the couch.

As I lay there, I thought about him. Roxas. I couldn't even pinpoint what about him I thought of. His eyes, his voice, his warmth… His _Everything. _It was a little odd for me to be thinking about someone so much. But I liked it.

After a while, I heard him move from his seat. I looked up, watching him move from the window to the back of the couch, leaning on the back and staring at me. "What?" I chuckled, staring back at him.

"I don't know," the blond shrugged. "I just… Like looking into your eyes, is all." I saw his face turn a faint pink, yet he smiled as if he was saying something normal.

I chuckled quietly again. He had a good reason, and I couldn't blame him. Nor did I want to. I could stare into the sunset in his eyes all day long and never get tired of them. My hand reached up and rested on his cheek all on its own and he leaned into it, nuzzling into my palm.

Then, ever so slowly, he leaned down towards me, trying for another kiss. I could just tell by the look in his eyes. But, to his surprise, he wasn't tall enough to still stay on his side of the couch and fell over on top of me. I caught him before he could tumble over the edge, holding him gently. His lips missed mine, falling down to my shoulder. Again, not a million dollar kiss, but still felt amazing.

He lifted his head from my shoulder and laughed nervously. "S-Sorry… I really didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," I interrupted him. "Actually, this is kind of nice, if you ask me." Again, my face warmed quickly. I could only imagine how red my cheeks were.

He chuckled softly and nuzzled his face into my neck, breathing quietly. "You're so warm. Why is that?"

I bit my lip for a moment, but then thought to myself. _It's just Roxas. I can trust him. _I slightly tilted my head a little bit, allowing him more access. "I control the element of fire. _Pyrokineses _is what it's called. I guess you could say that fire runs through my blood-" I drew in a sharp breath as I felt his lips against my neck, soft as a feather. "You really, _really_ got to stop that."

I shivered as he pulled away to laugh, his warm breath caressing my skin. "Sorry. I'm working my way up. I'm just… Not exactly ready yet."

I laughed and stroked his soft hair. "Take your time. Just don't torture me like this along the way."

We both chuckled as he nuzzled into my neck, pressing closer to me as he did. "Sorry. I'll try as hard as I can," he sighed quietly.

I playfully glared at him, not being able to hide a grin. "_Try?_ You will not _try_! You _will_!" I rolled over to pin the blond to the floor. Again, our faces were inches apart as we laughed. When our laughter calmed he looked into my eyes, freezing me in my place.

His smile slowly turned to a frown as he looked away. "Axel?" he whispered softly with a sigh.

"Hmm?" I rolled to my side, holding him in my arm close to my side.

He hesitated a moment, seeming to be thinking. "Am… Am I taking too long for you?"

I looked at him, confused. "No! Why would you think that? I care about you, Roxas. You can take as long as you need until you're ready. I'll be waiting, and when the time comes, it will be magnificent."

The blond looked to me and smiled, gently pressing his lips against my jaw again. "Thanks, Axel."

Suddenly, my mom's car could be heard outside. We both rolled to our feet and stood up, brushing ourselves off. And just in time, for she came in just as we looked up. "You boys want to help carrying things in? You can use my coat, Roxas." She set her handful of things on the table and shrugged her coat off, handing it to the blond as I slipped mine on.

"Thank you, ma'am." He slipped the coat on, which was one size too big, and headed outside with me.

Our mini-van was full of groceries and other supplies. I could tell from some of the bags that she went to the department store, too. I peaked inside and found a winter coat and snow pants inside, as well as gloves and boots. I smiled and glanced over at him. _Guess he is staying around for a while…_ I grabbed a couple of other bags and brought them inside.

By the time we got everything inside, my mother already had most of the groceries packed away in the cupboards and fridge. She turned to us and smiled, grabbing the bag from the department store and handing it to Roxas. "I got these for you. Think of it as a house-warming present." She smiled softly at him before continuing to swiftly pack away the groceries.

When he looked inside, a quiet laugh escaped his lips. He glanced up at my mother. "Thank you, ma'am! Thank you!" With that, he ran to the front door, trying on his new attire.

As he did, I chuckled softly, approaching my mom. "So, is he gonna stay for a while?" I asked lowly, not wanting the boy to hear.

Without stopping from her work, she spoke softly. "I asked around about him. My only answers were that they didn't know him or he didn't have a home." She stopped and leaned against the counter, looking at me. "I guess he'll have to stay for a while."

I quickly hugged her, pecking her on the cheek. "Thank you, Mom." I let her go so she could finish unpacking, going up to Roxas. "How's the new stuff?"

He looked up at me for a brief moment before returning to his boot laces. "Great! I can't believe she got me all this!"

I threw my coat on and slipped on my boots. "How's about we see how great it _really _is?" I smirked as I slid my gloves over my hands and a hat over my head. The blond looked up at me and smirked. I could see the joy in his eyes.

With both of us laughing, we ran out into the snow, which he fell face-first into.

"Rox!" I exclaimed, kneeling down beside him. "You alright?"

After a short moment of silence, he quickly turned over and threw a ball of snow at me. "I'm great, now!" he laughed as he rolled over, picking up another glob of the white stuff.

Wiping the snow off my face, I gathered my own little ball of the frozen water and hid behind a tree, avoiding his shots. We threw snowballs at each other for quite some time before calling it quits. Who knew snowball fights could take so much out of you?

After a while, I decided to head inside for a bit, while Roxas stayed out. My mother was already at the door with a bigger coat. "You two alright out there?" she questioned as I switched to the thicker, warmer coat.

"Yeah. We're having a blast, too. I never knew snow could be so much fun…"

I heard her chuckle quietly as she pushed me out. "Well, get back out there, Axel. You shouldn't leave him alone like that for too long." I swear I saw a smile that said "I know what's going on between you two," but I was already out the door before I could give it another thought.

I went to the side of the house to find the boy… _building_ something. I approached him and his project, examining it. Three round balls of snow, each one smaller than the last, piled on top of one another.

He saw the confused look on my face and chuckled. "It's a snowman. Care to help out?" He patted some snow into the side.

Hesitating a moment, I grabbed a glob of snow and patted it on the head. Unfortunately, I forgot that I was warming my hands, and some of the top melted. I quickly made the heat in my hands disappear and patted more snow on his head, laughing weakly and nervously. "Sorry… Forgot my internal heater was on. Heh…"

He smiled and helped fix the snowman's head. "'Internal heater'? What do you mean by that?"

I watched him for a moment, then removed my gloves, stuffing them in my pocket. I looked around quickly, checking for by-passers. The road was clear of any beings, so we were safe. I let the heat return to my hands before I rested them on the boy's cheeks.

At my sudden warm touch, he gasped quietly, slightly jumping. But he quickly relaxed and smiled, beginning to nuzzle into my palms. He, too, took off his gloves and rested his hands over mine, smiling as his eyes closed. "So warm," he whispered, his cool, icy breath escaping his lips and flowing past my heated wrists. It made me shiver a little.

"You understand now?" I asked quietly, reluctantly pulling my hands away from his beautiful face.

His hands didn't leave mine as he nodded. In fact, they gripped mine, refusing to let go. His eyes opened to look back into my own. I just couldn't get over the fact of how marvelous those blue eyes were. It's like they were full of ocean water, and those waves caught me during a mighty storm, but calmed once it felt the heat from my very hands. Sometimes, those waves would tickle my neck, my shoulder, my jaw, and it felt amazing. I loved those waves, but not as much as I love that very ocean.

After another moment, Roxas stood on his toes and pecked my cheek before releasing my hands. "Come on. Let's finish this snowman."

I grinned and nodded, diminishing the flame inside me and fixing the lump I made earlier.

Soon, the sky was different shades of blue, yellow, purple, pink, and red. Clouds were beginning to roll in again, too. "Come on, boys!" My mother called from the front door, "It's getting late, and a blizzard is coming. I don't need you two catching a cold!"

"In a sec!" I called, carefully patting the last bit of snow into the little snow puppy. "Ta-da! One perfectly made dog by yours truly!"

Roxas chuckled a little as he examined the dog. "How did you do it?"

I smirked and acted as if I were better than everyone else. "I'm just that awesome."

Suddenly, a glob of snow hit me in the face. "You keep telling yourself that."

I wiped the snow off my face and laughed as we headed inside, hanging our coats on the rack and setting our boots aside to dry. Roxas went straight for the heater and I went to the kitchen to make hot chocolate.

As I did so, I heard my mother walk in. "I see you two had fun," she chuckled, starting to make dinner.

"Tons, Mom. We had a snowball fight, and we built a snowman… It was great." I stirred the chocolate powder into the heated water, watching it slowly turn brown and swirly.

"I'm glad you're both getting along, but I just want to warn you to be careful." She set a bag of marshmallows beside the cups. "Things may take a turn for the worse."

I stared at her, confused. "Mom… What are you talking about?"

She looked up at me, her face looking a little shocked for a moment, then smiled nervously. "Nothing. You'll understand later. Now get going before the hot chocolate turns cold." She pushed me along out of the kitchen with the mugs in my hands. It was odd how she was acting so strange all of a sudden.

When I got back to the living room, Roxas had found a blanket and had wrapped himself up. "Cold, are we?" I chuckled, handing him his mug as I sat beside him.

The blond chuckled and popped a marshmallow in his mouth. "The wind did pick up the last couple of hours."

It was true. Even _I_ was cold, and that can be a pretty hard task to accomplish. "Do you need any help warming up?" I heated my body again so I could warm myself up while leaning on the other. He smiled softly and sipped his drink as I did mine.

As we sat there, leaning on each other, I felt a new warmth inside me. Not the kind that produced the heat I made, but something more than that. It didn't exactly warm my body, but it warmed… It warmed my _heart_ and _soul_. I felt this warmth whenever I was around my ocean. And when I looked into his eyes, a little of that ocean water would seep inside me and start to bubble with this newfound warmth. That's why I couldn't help but smile around him. That warm, bubbling feeling in me felt so… So I don't know. It was so amazing, it's indescribable.

Before long, the hot chocolate disappeared and we set the empty mugs aside. The blanket my other had before had fallen from his shoulders, now relying completely on me for heat. I wrapped an arm around him to warm him faster and nuzzled his hair. The warmth put him to sleep, making him even heavier against my arm. This made me uncomfortable, so I carefully moved him to lie across my lap. He slept like a baby, looking like an angel. I could hear my mother ready for bed without a word to us. That's why I loved her.

It soon turned into night, and everyone was asleep in the neighborhood. As I watched Roxas sleep, I stared at his face. Calm as a sleeping baby. _My _calm, sleeping baby. He just looked so innocent and sweet. I gently brushed his cheek with my fingers, making him stir ever so slightly. I chuckled quietly as he turned slightly, facing me. His lips looked so lush and warm. They had "kiss me" written all over them. Careful not to wake him up, I slowly lifted his head as I leaned down, closing the gap between us.

But just as our lips began to brush, I stopped. I couldn't do it. I couldn't betray him. I promised him that I would wait for him. I didn't want to break a promise I made with the one person I truly cared for in my life. I just couldn't.

So, once I swallowed my greedy urge, I moved passed his lips and kissed his cheek. Even so, the feeling of just our lips barely touching was thrilling. My face flushed a deep shade of red. I fought back the returning urge to move back.

Suddenly, Roxas' eyes fluttered open, making me pull away and laugh softly. "Have a nice nap?" I questioned playfully, nuzzling him.

He moaned quietly as he squirmed slightly to get comfortable. "Amazing nap," he sighed, his voice pretty much a mumble, "I had a great dream, too. First good dream I've had in _years_."

I smiled and stared into his eyes again. "Could you tell me about it? I mean, if that's alright…"

"No," he laughed, "I'm not going to _tell_ you. I'm going to _show_ you."

This confused me a bit. However, when I opened my mouth to ask, he rested a finger on my lips. He wouldn't let me speak at all. He adjusted himself so he was now sitting in my lap, his arms wrapped around my neck. My heart began to run for miles, faster and faster as he leaned forward and forward. He was going so slow, my want ached. I restrained myself from leaning forward.

Then, just as I thought I was about to die from this taunting, it happened. Our lips met and quickly closed the gap. This felt so much more exhilarating than just brushing. This was a full-blown kiss, and it felt _so_ breathtaking. My greedy urge was released and I leaned forward, drastically deepening the kiss as my one hand became entangled in his feathery hair while the other stayed wrapped around his waist. My heart could have burst right then and there as a moan came from his throat, sounding almost like a purr. The sound made me shudder and pull him closer.

This was it. This made me claim Roxas as mine. Mine and mine only. I wouldn't share him with anyone else. Only I could love him the way I did. Yes, I could now admit I loved this blond angel.

He reluctantly pulled away after a few seconds, gasping for air. I did the same, resting my forehead on his as I looked into his eyes. I could see in those eyes that he wanted so much more. He wanted to lean forward and try for more, more. He wanted to taste my lips again with his own.

Or maybe that was me. Whoever's wants they were, I answered them myself by diving for his mouth, accidently causing him a little pain. He whimpered slightly, but it quickly turned into a pleasurable moan. I quickly pulled away, replacing my lips with my finger. "We have to be quiet… If my mother hears us, she'll go berserk."

The blond giggled and nodded before greedily forced his lips onto mine again for another kiss. He did so with so much force, in fact, it made me fall back onto the ground. I made a soft _thump _sound, but I ignored it and replied to the hungry boy. I pushed myself up to lean against the wall, keeping one arm around his waist. As long as I had this passionate moment with him, I wouldn't let him go. I held him as if someone would take him away from me. I would be as dead as a mother who lost her own child.

We sat there for a while, just kissing each other to no end. We barely had enough breath with each kiss, but that didn't matter to us now. I just wanted Roxas, and I'm sure he just wanted me. The time felt like it lasted for hours, even though it was only a few mere moments.

Finally, when our lungs couldn't take anymore, he laid his head on my pounding chest, both of us breathing heavily. And that was it. Me holding my baby in my arms, recovering from our little adventure.

Suddenly, I recognized something. "Roxas," I whispered softly, "Roxas… Are you still awake?"

The only response I got was a quiet moan as he threw his head to the side. I chuckled softly and carefully picked him up, cradling him in my arms all the way to my room.

As I laid him there, I smiled. Only a year since it happened, and he didn't break down once. I sat beside him and gently combed my fingers through his hair, barely touching the scar. I was proud of him. Sure, I only knew him for only a few days, but I was proud. I wondered if he even noticed it was that day.

I yawned and eventually lay beside him, wrapping an arm around Roxas and hugging him close to me. Heat flowed throughout my body, warming us both. I nuzzled his hair and drifted slowly to sleep.

A little while later, the angel turned over to face me and cuddle into my chest, waking me a bit.

"Thank you," he moaned softly, slowly, "For changing… How I see… This day… Forever…"


End file.
